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Sunday, 27 November 2011

drugs report

How different drugs affect individuals

There are many different types of drugs in the world and the affect individuals in different ways; drugs affect individuals physically and psychologically.

Cocaine

Cocaine is a stimulant that has strong but short-lived effects; Cocaine is a very serious drug that can cause someone with a previous mental health problem to relapse. Cocaine is very similar to Speed, the differences are Cocaine is stronger and the effects don’t last as long, when the effects of Cocaine are wearing off the desire to take more increases. Cocaine only takes around two minutes after use for the effects to reach their peak and a further ten minutes for the effects to wear off. If an individual has taken a lot of Cocaine in one night it is not uncommon for them to have flu like symptoms the next day. In a questionnaire that I carried out one of the participants wrote down that Cocaine gave him “the feeling of 10 men”.

Cannabis

Cannabis is another serious drug and is the most widely illegal drug used in Britain. Cannabis can leave the user in a state of happiness or chilled out feeling, Cannabis can also leave the user in a state of paranoia, while In the state of happiness the user can become very talkative and very giggly. Cannabis can make the user feel sleepy and this is because Cannabis is a sedative. Cannabis is also a mild hallucinogen that can cause the user to have hallucinations, an effect of the hallucinations can be the slowing of time. The user may also feel like he/she is hungry and is commonly known as getting the munchies. When skunk or sinsemiller is put in a joint to make a stronger joint the effects may be stronger, another effect of cannabis is the desire to binge smoke. Cannabis can also create a psychotic illness or send an individual into a relapse. Cannabis is an addictive drug, if an avid user tries to stop using they can experience mood swings, irritability, apatite disturbance, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, sweating, shakes and diarrhoea, but people that have only just tried it may not have a problem keeping off it. Smoking Cannabis while pregnant can reduce the baby’s growth. Regular users may have trouble learning or concentrating some people feel tired and can’t even seem to get motivated. In the questionnaire that I carried out one of the participants said “I felt physically sick” another said that it gave them “relaxation” another said “I was sick”.

Ketamine

Ketamine is used in operations on humans and animals because it is an anaesthetic. The effects of Ketamine don’t last long it takes about an hour for the effects to peak and a further several hours for the effects to wear off. Ketamine can cause the loss of feeling in the body, paralysis of the muscles, a near death experience, distortion of reality, a floating feeling as if the user is separated from their body, detached from surroundings, change to sight and sound, confusion, panic attacks, depression, if the user has a previous mental health problem taking Ketamine can send the user into a relapse and the user can die from taking Ketamine. Users that inject themselves with Ketamine are at risk of damaging their veins and they can also cause blood clots, sharing needles increases the user’s chances to get hepatitis B or C and even HIV. Taking Ketamine with other drugs such as alcohol can lead to problems breathing which could cause the user to fall unconscious; while unconscious the user may die by swallowing their own vomit. In a questionnaire that I carried out one of the participants said Ketamine gave him “an outer body experience”.

Ecstasy

Ecstasy is also known as MDMA it is known as MDMA because MDMA is the chemical that makes up Ecstasy the user may feel a buzz of energy, feel alert, alive, increased awareness of sound and colours and temporary love with those surrounding the user friend or stranger. In short term use the user may feel anxious, have panic attacks, confusion, paranoia, people can become really talkative, sometimes the conversations will not make sense to people that are not on ecstasy and even psychosis. The physical effects are dilated pupils, a tingling feeling, tightening of the jaw muscle, raised body temperature and heart beating faster The effects take around 30 minutes to start kicking in and because of this some first time users believe that the effects are not working so they take another pill, when the effects start to kick in both pills work together so the user has to deal with 2 doses of Ecstasy. It can take from 3 hours to 6 hours for the effects to wear off. Ecstasy is also rarely pure meaning that the user does not know exactly what is in the pill or powder and they have no idea how it will affect them. In a questionnaire that I carried out one of the participants said ecstasy gave him an “irritable jaw”

Statistics

In 2009/10 there were 5,809 admitted to hospital due to mental health problems and behavioural disorder from the result of a primary diagnosis of a drug use. The number of people was 2.5% higher than 2008/09 where there were 5,668 were admitted. In the case of 11-15 year olds there has been a decrease in the amount of drug use, in 2001 29% of 11 to 15year olds had tried drugs, in 2009 the percentage had dropped to 22%. In 2008 1,738 the total number of drug misuse deaths in England and Wales, 78% of the people were male. The most popular cause of underlying death was accidental poisoning; there were 597 males and 166 females that died from accidental poisoning.